Today’s roll call identified Beck feeling a little worse, Zac no better than yesterday, all others slightly improved? And I couldn’t stop coughing all night.

We took advantage of the late check out of 12pm to enjoy a sleep in, leisurely breakfast and suitcase pack, and met in the lobby at 12pm on the dot. By that time Ross and I had already decided we would go to the airport early and find somewhere for Zac to just lie and rest (ok, maybe me too) while we waited for our 6.55pm flight. Tim decided to join us, and I was very thankful he did. There were many stairs and levels to climb or descend to get the right train to the airport, and Tim swapped suitcases with me to make it easier for me. Paris stations do not seem to have lifts!

The other 10 left their bags with reception and caught the metro back into the centre of Paris. The cousins walked the length of the Champs-Elysees and had Burger King for lunch, and our family started at the Louvre for a quick look and then moved on to the Champs-Elysees for lunch.

We warned them all about the time we took getting to the airport (all stations train took an hour and a half), and my mistake taking us to the wrong terminal, so once they had enjoyed lunch and had a last look around, they returned to the hotel to get their suitcases and started the trek to the airport.

There was difficulty actually fitting on the same train, so Jarrod with Sam and Belle followed on the train behind – which was a bit stressful because Jarrod had all our flight information, and he also had responsibility for my two babies! We all met up in plenty of time for our 6.55pm flight to Frankfurt.

A layover there of an hour was followed by another flight to Salzburg at 9.30pm, also with Lufthansa. Both flights on paper were 1 hour 20 minute flights, and both took 50 minutes each. Baggage claim was extremely quick, so we were at the bus stop to catch the bus into the city to our hotel in plenty of time before the last bus for the night ran. It was 0 degrees when we arrived with a light covering of snow.

Remember me thinking the residents of Westminster would be happy to see us go after we click clacked our bags noisily at a very early hour to the station? Well we were click clacking our bags along the streets to the hotel here noisily at midnight! The boys did a Maccas run as we hadn’t had dinner, while everyone else unpacked and Zac and I drugged up yet again.

Supportive messages from home are appreciated. As are your ideas! Remind me to pack the three V’s next time I go away: Vegemite, Vicks Vaporub and Ventolin!